Alliance Statement on the Introduction of the Telehealth Extension and Evaluation Act

Legislation by Senators Cortez Masto and Young creates the path to retain patient access to telehealth

WASHINGTON D.C. February 7, 2022 – The Alliance for Connected Care (“The Alliance”) is pleased to support the introduction of the bipartisan Telehealth Extension and Evaluation Act (S. 3593) and applauds Senators Cortez Masto (D-NV) and Young (R-IN) for their leadership in drafting this crucial legislation to ensure predictable patient access to telehealth following the end of the public health emergency.

“We call on Congress to take up and pass the Telehealth Evaluation and Extension Act this spring, said Alliance for Connected Care executive director, Krista Drobac. This legislation will provide certainty to beneficiaries and healthcare providers alike, while ensuring sufficient time is taken to analyze the impact of telehealth on patient care throughout the pandemic to inform permanent telehealth reform.”

The Telehealth Extension and Evaluation Act will establish a 2-year extension of the widely supported telehealth services Congress enacted during the pandemic, while ensuring a thorough evaluation of these services prior to future permanent action by Congress. The legislation also includes extremely important provisions to ensure the continued provision of telehealth services by Critical Access Hospitals, Rural Health Clinics, and Federally Qualified Health Centers – and important provisions to ensure continued access to Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) through telehealth.

Read the full statement here.

Bill text can be found here. A section-by-section summary can be found here. Press release can be found here.